Tag: american jews
Trump Spews Anti-Semitic Tropes To Israeli Journalist

Trump Spews Anti-Semitic Tropes To Israeli Journalist

Former President Donald Trump is once again slamming American Jews over what he claims are their political beliefs, hitting on a number of antisemitic tropes to lament his lack of support within the Jewish community.

In the 2020 presidential election, which Trump maintains he won despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, Trump received support from only about a third of Jewish voters, a historically Democratic-leaning bloc, according to the Associated Press' VoteCast polling.

In newly released audio from an interview conducted by Barak Ravid, an Israeli journalist who writes for Axios, Trump says, "There's people in this country that are Jewish, no longer love Israel. I'll tell you, the evangelical Christians love Israel more than the Jews in this country. It used to be that Israel had absolute power over Congress. And today I think it's the exact opposite. And I think Obama and Biden did that."

Dual loyalty" is an antisemitic trope used to paint Jews as an "other" more loyal to a foreign nation than their non-Jewish counterparts. Here, Trump inverts the trope, instead saying Jews are not loyal enough to Israel, calling their allegiances into question and insisting that the demographic group should act as a monolith.

By claiming "Israel had absolute power over Congress," Trump also insinuates that Jews control the government, casting them in the frequent stereotype as power-hungry puppet-masters who wield outsize influence over domestic and global affairs.

Trump himself slammed Democratic Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota in 2019 for what some called an antisemitic tweet she posted, "It's all about the Benjamins baby," in referring to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, a lobbying group that advocates on behalf of Israel. Omar apologized, but Trump said that her apology was insufficient and that she "should be ashamed of herself."

In the interview with Ravid, Trump employed another antisemitic trope, this one about supposed Jewish control of the media: "The New York Times hates Israel. Hates them. And they're Jewish people that run the New York Times, I mean the Sulzberger family."

In bemoaning Jewish lack of support for Israel, Trump was referencing the shifting Overton window among Democrats on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Surveys have shown that American Jews' and Democrats' attitudes toward Israel have changed in the months since a flare-up in May in violence between Israelis and Palestinians that began with an Israeli raid on the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Jewish views on the topic vary widely: A Pew survey that ran in 2019 and 2020 found 45% of Jews consider caring about Israel "essential" to their religion and only 16% said it is "not important" to their Jewish identity.

But the shift in the Democratic Party could be seen in a dayslong funding battle in September of this year between moderates and progressives in the House over sending $1 billion to Israel to support its Iron Dome missile defense system.

Donald Trump Has A Nasty Past Of Anti-Semitism

This isn't the first time Trump has invoked antisemitic tropes about the Jewish American community.

Days after Trump's inauguration in 2017, the White House released a statement marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day that completely omitted any mention of Jews.

After neo-Nazis marched at the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia in August 2017, chanting, "Jews will not replace us," Trump refused to immediately condemn the white supremacists, instead saying, "You also had people that were very fine people, on both sides," only buckling to pressure following immense backlash over those comments.

During Trump's 2018 trip to Europe, his chief of staff John Kelly reportedly had to warn him not to praise Adolf Hitler. According to the book "Frankly, We Did Win This Election," by Wall Street Journal reporter Michael Bender, Trump had reportedly insisted during that trip that Hitler "did a lot of good things," pointing to Germany's economic recovery in the 1930s.

Speaking with The Guardian in July, a Trump spokesperson claimed the anecdote about Trump's comments was "made-up fake news."

In 2019, while speaking at the Israeli American Council in Hollywood, Florida, Trump peddled stereotypes about Jews, greed, and wealth. After commenting about how Jews "don't love Israel enough," he told the crowd, "A lot of you are in the real estate business, because I know you very well. You're brutal killers, not nice people at all."

He added that they would never vote for someone like then-Democratic presidential candidate Elizabeth Warren over him.

"You're not gonna vote for the wealth tax," he said. "Yeah, let's take 100% of your wealth away! Some of you don't like me. Some of you I don't like at all, actually. And you're going to be my biggest supporters because you're going to be out of business in about 15 minutes if [Democrats win]."

Reprinted with permission from The American Independent

Trump Promotes Conspiracy Theorist’s Claims About Jews

Trump Promotes Conspiracy Theorist’s Claims About Jews

Reprinted with permission from MediaMatters

President Donald Trump on Wednesday morning promoted right-wing conspiracy theorist Wayne Allyn Root’s claim that American Jews should be more appreciative of the president — like Israeli Jews are, Root said — because Trump is “the greatest president for Jews and for Israel in the history of the world.” Trump also seemingly urged Fox News and other pro-Trump media outlets to cover the remarks.

Trump was widely condemned for his Tuesday afternoon claim that because some Democratic members of Congress have suggested cutting off aid to Israel and used anti-Semitic tropes, “Jewish people that vote for a Democrat” may be showing “great disloyalty.” Trump did not specify the subject of this purported disloyalty by the overwhelming majority of American Jews who support Democrats, but his claim echoed a longstanding and blood-soaked anti-Semitic trope that Jews practice “dual loyalty” to their home countries and to the Jewish people.

(Update: Asked to specify on Wednesday, Trump told reporters,  “If you vote for a Democrat, you’re being disloyal to Jewish people and you’re being very disloyal to Israel.” )

Trump doubled down on Wednesday morning, tweeting a lengthy quote from Newsmax TV host Wayne Allyn Root about the disparity between support for Trump among Israeli and American Jews. According to Root, who identifies as a “Jew turned evangelical Christian,” Jewish people in Israel love Trump “like he’s the King of Israel” or “the second coming of God,” while American Jews don’t “like him,” which “makes no sense.” Jews do not believe in a second coming.

He thanked Root “for the very nice words” and tagged the Twitter accounts of Newsmax, the Fox News program Fox & Friends, and the right-wing One America News Network in an apparent suggestion that they should cover the comments.

Root, a longtime conservative columnist and radio host, has promoted a wide range of false conspiracy theories, including that President Barack Obama attended Columbia University as a “foreign exchange student,” that Democratic National Committee staffer Seth Rich was murdered by Democrats because he provided DNC files to WikiLeaks, that progressive donor George Soros hired the murderer of Charlottesville, VA, rally victim Heather Heyer, and that Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts’ 2015 Obamacare ruling might have been the result of him being “blackmailed or intimidated.”

Root has nonetheless received direct access to Trump and his family, whom he has partied with at the president’s Mar-A-Lago resort.

Root, made the comments on Tuesday night’s edition of his show.

 

GOP Leadership Silent As Trump Repeats Anti-Semitic ‘Disloyalty’ Slurs

GOP Leadership Silent As Trump Repeats Anti-Semitic ‘Disloyalty’ Slurs

As Trump continued to attack American Jews for overwhelmingly supporting the Democratic Party, key Republican leaders who are often quick to call out what they consider anti-Semitism have remained silent.

On Tuesday, Trump said American Jews were exhibiting “either a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty” by voting for Democrats. On Wednesday, he not only repeated that smear but also insisted that “only weak people” could take issue with his characterization.

After Tuesday’s rhetorical assault, Trump was criticized by groups like the Anti-Defamation League, the American Jewish Committee, and the Jewish Democratic Council of America. They noted that questioning the loyalty of Jews — the “dual loyalty” trope — is blatantly anti-Semitic and has been directed against Jews for generations.

But Republican leaders, many of whom have called on Democratic leaders to condemn what they characterize as anti-Semitic, have remained silent.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell did not speak up about Trump. Yet in his speech to AIPAC in March, McConnell warned about dual loyalty attacks, describing them as “anti-Semitic slurs” and condemning anyone who uses them.

“For many years, such slurs and tropes were limited to the fringes,” McConnell said at the time. “Sadly, they have recently received new prominence, having been repeated and retweeted by a sitting member of Congress.”

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy recently visited Israel and his social media accounts are filled with pictures of his trip. But he has also said nothing about Trump’s comments.

In February, though, he had plenty to say about anti-Semitism.

“Anti-Semitic tropes have no place in the halls of Congress,” McCarthy tweeted. “It is dangerous for Democrat leadership to stay silent on this reckless language.” He also released a statement, declaring that “Republicans will take action this week to ensure the House speaks out against anti-Semitic hatred. We stand with Israel and the Jewish people.”

In fact, Democratic leaders, particularly Speaker Nancy Pelosi, condemned the language in question at the time. Democrats later put forth a congressional resolution condemning anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and other forms of bigotry — only to have 23 Republicans oppose the measure.

McCarthy’s second in command, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise, has also been silent on Trump’s anti-Jewish remarks. In May, Scalise warned of “the alarming rise in anti-Semitism across the country & from some Democrats in Congress.”

Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), chair of the House Republican Conference, claimed in May that there are “so many anti-Semitic members of the House Democratic Caucus.”

During an appearance on Fox News, she insisted that members of Congress have an “obligation” to condemn anti-Semitism.

“We have a situation today where those of us who are elected officials and particularly elected officials in the House of Representative where this anti-Semitism is rising within our body have an obligation to stand up and to stop it,” she said.

She accused “House Democratic leadership of “enabl[ing] anti-Semitism in their ranks.” She has repeatedly invoked the Holocaust to try to shame Democrats she accuses of being anti-Semitic. (She is not Jewish.)

Since Trump’s attacks, however, Cheney has gone silent.

Other Republicans in Congress have fiercely condemned anti-Semitism when the perpetrators are Democrats.

“There is a danger to any civilization, any country, who will not call out anti-Semitic comments when they happen,” noted Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-TX).

“It saddens me that a Member of Congress with the platform to change the world doesn’t take the opportunity to raise our gaze above hateful anti-Semitic language,” said Rep. Doug Collins in February.

“Time for Dem leaders to denounce anti-Semitic attacks vs. Israel. Can no longer be silent against bigotry,” said Rep. Peter King (R-NY).

“Anti-Semitic suggestions about why Israel has strong bipartisan support in Congress is shameful,” said Rep. Ken Calvert (R-CA).

“I’m disappointed to find that many in the media are just awakening to the anti-American and anti-Semitic comments uttered consistently by some socialist leaders,” complained Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA).

In June, Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) stated, “Anti-Semitic beliefs have no place in this Congress & no place in our society.”

Now, as Trump accuses Jews of being disloyal, ignorant, and weak — and as Jewish leaders and citizens condemn for it — those same Republicans who claim to so deeply care about fighting anti-Semitism are remarkably silent.

Published with permission of The American Independent.

‘I Am The Chosen One’: Trump’s Burgeoning Delusions Of Grandeur

‘I Am The Chosen One’: Trump’s Burgeoning Delusions Of Grandeur

Reprinted with permission from Alternet

President Donald Trump is known for being absurd and off-the-wall, so there’s no doubt his defenders will write off his latest declaration of, “I am the Chosen One,” as just more playfulness from the commander-in-chief.

And on its own, the comment made Wednesday to reporters may indeed have been harmless. (Though conservative media, which accused President Barack Obama of having too high an opinion of himself, would have skewered the Democrat had he made such a claim while in office.)

But Trump’s boast was just one more point in a line of evidence that Trump has truly disturbing delusions of grandeur.

The president’s remark came as he discussed his ongoing and destructive trade war with China.

“Somebody had to do it,” he said, turning his head toward the sky. “I am the Chosen One. Somebody had to do it! So I’m taking on China.”

Earlier in the morning, Trump had tweeted:

It was a bizarre and off-kilter series of claims, attributed to a conservative conspiracy theorist known for spreading lies about Obama’s birthplace, like Trump.

But the idea that Trump is some sort of nearly divine figure in Israel didn’t just boost his ego — it inspired him to launch a truly vile anti-Semitic attack on American Jews. Having accused them vaguely of having either “a total lack of knowledge or great disloyalty,” Trump clarified Wednesday that he believes Jews who vote for Democrats are “very disloyal to Israel.” Of course, the idea that Jews have some sort of special inherent loyalty to Israel is an anti-Semitic myth, one that Republicans have and others have accused Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) of promoting.

The view that Trump is somehow divinely touched is not confined to Trump or Root. Claims like these have frequently emerged from Trump’s base of Evangelical support.

As The Guardian reported in 2018, a movie called The Trump Prophecy asserted that the president’s election was “an act of God.”

And after Trump was elected in 2016, evangelical Christian Franklin Graham wrote on Facebook:

Did God show up? In watching the news after the election, the secular media kept asking “How did this happen?” “What went wrong?” “How did we miss this?” Some are in shock. Political pundits are stunned. Many thought the Trump/Pence ticket didn’t have a chance. None of them understand the God-factor.

How much does Trump actually believe all this? It’s not clear. Though he says he is a Christian, he has shown minimal understanding of the Bible and seems to only embrace doctrine when it’s politically convenient.

If Trump does have religious faith, though, it wouldn’t be surprising that he would feature prominently as a main character in the mythos.

But whether he’s playacting or a genuine believer, Trump’s contention that he can fill the role of a savior is a truly dangerous one. It can lead him to blow up over minor slights, like the Danish prime minister’s dismissal of his offer to buy Greenland. It can lead him to overconfidence, as he’s demonstrating in his half-cocked trade war with China, barrelling forward without a plan even as a possible recession looms. It can lead to astounding boasts, as he declared in his 2016 speech at the Republican National Committee of the American political system: “I alone can fix it.”